Iván was 19 years old, an only child, and worked for a multinational company based in the Puerto Interior industrial park. He supported his parents financially with his wages; his father is ill. In the early hours of Monday, October 5, while riding his motorcycle home to the community of Rincón de Ortega in San Felipe, he was shot and killed by members of the State Highway Police.
His family learned of his death hours later. They initially tried to reach him by phone, but his cell phone was turned off. Later, personnel from the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) arrived at their home to ask them to come and identify his body.
The official account from the Secretariat of Security and Peace stated that state police officers came under fire while patrolling the Silao-San Felipe highway and that one of the alleged attackers was killed. No officers from the force were injured.
However, that version has been rejected by Iván’s family and close associates, who maintain that the young man was returning home alone after attending the closing festivities for Saint Michael the Archangel. They deny that he took part in any attack on the police and demand a full investigation into what happened.
“We want the truth to come out; we don’t want them to tarnish his name or make him look like a criminal, because he wasn’t one,” said someone close to the young man, who shared their testimony with POPLab on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals from the authorities.
Iván was originally from León but had been living for some time with his family in Rincón de Ortega—a community within the municipality of San Felipe—where they owned a home.
According to accounts from those close to him, he left his home around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, to head to the municipal seat and attend the dance that marked the end of the festivities honoring Saint Michael the Archangel. That night, as part of the 2026 San Miguel Arcángel and Pottery Fair, the group Los Invasores de Nuevo León performed. According to those present, the rain didn’t disrupt the peaceful flow of events.
Around 3:00 a.m. on Monday, Iván set out for home on his motorcycle. He was alone, according to acquaintances.
The ride between the municipal seat and Rincón de Ortega takes about 30 minutes by motorcycle. Just a few kilometers from his destination, the young man was shot and killed by state police officers.
His family was unaware of what had happened during the night. It was not until Monday morning—after unsuccessful attempts to contact him—that they received the news of his death.
The official account and the doubts
The Secretariat of Security and Peace reported that officers from the State Highway Police were conducting patrols in the early hours of Monday, October 5—as part of a strategy to prevent vehicle theft—when they came under fire on the Silao-San Felipe highway.
In a briefing released Monday morning, the agency confirmed that a man allegedly involved in the attack had died, without providing further details.
“Preliminary reports indicate that during the incident, one of the individuals allegedly involved in the attack lost his life. No members of the force were injured… Investigations will establish the circumstances of the events and any potential link between the individuals involved and alleged criminal activity.”
The agency also noted that other individuals might have been involved, though it did not specify how many or what their roles might have been.
News reports covering the official statement indicated that Iván was traveling with another person, who allegedly escaped. However, family and friends who had been with him at the dance maintain that he was returning alone.
“We know the same thing everyone else does—what the report says: that he was supposedly on a motorcycle with a passenger and shots were fired, which isn’t true. He was coming back completely alone; he was almost home,” stated an acquaintance.
For those who knew him, the information released by the authorities has cast doubt on the reputation of a young man described as hardworking, reserved, and devoted to his family.
“Those of us who knew him know he wasn’t a troublemaker; he was a very quiet person—in fact, he was very shy around people. It’s impossible that he committed an act like that. We want the truth to come out; we don’t want his name tarnished or for him to be portrayed as a criminal, because he wasn’t one,” said the person interviewed by POPLab. Another concern for the family relates to the items Iván was carrying when he died.
Someone close to the young man recounted that the Prosecutor’s Office showed them his belongings: his ID card, wallet, motorcycle keys, and two necklaces. However, the person stated that there was no firearm among those items.
The belongings remain in the custody of the State Attorney General’s Office, which has opened an investigation file to clarify what happened.
For its part, the Secretariat of Security and Peace has not provided further information regarding the alleged confrontation, noting that it will release more details once legal timelines allow.
“As soon as legal timelines permit, the Secretariat will provide further information,” states the information bulletin released by the agency.
Demand for investigation into police officers
Iván’s death left his parents without the son who, at 19, was their primary financial support. Beyond the grief of their loss, his family worries that he might be branded a criminal before the circumstances of his death have been clarified.
Those who knew him describe him as a “very hardworking young man, devoted to his family and to his sick father.”
Consequently, family, friends, and residents of Rincón de Ortega are calling for the young man not to be criminalized and are demanding an investigation into both the events of early Monday morning and the conduct of the state police officers involved.
They are demanding that authorities determine how the death occurred and provide evidence to shed light on the officers’ actions.
The Guanajuato State Human Rights Office (PRODHEG) confirmed that it has initiated an *ex officio* complaint regarding these events, registered under number 1355/2026.
Iván’s case was preceded by the death of another young man at the hands of the Guanajuato state police: Leonardo Reyes Cayente, a 23-year-old migrant who was shot by officers from the State Public Security Forces (FSPE) after he stepped out to find a cell signal and was accused of being a criminal.
In December 2018—shortly after Diego Sinhue Rodríguez’s six-year term began—Leo Reyes died after being shot by state police officers. The official account was similar: the Secretariat of Security, then led by Alvar Cabeza de Vaca, accused him of assaulting the officers, prompting them to retaliate. As in Iván’s case, no officers from the Tactical Operations Group (GTO) were injured.
For eight years, the family has demanded justice and sought—through the courts—to have the officers and their commanders prosecuted. There is still no judicial resolution, despite the series of legal actions pursued by the family and a ruling by the Guanajuato State Human Rights Prosecutor’s Office confirming that the officers left Leonardo Reyes to die after shooting him.
Abuse of authority
Iván’s case adds to a series of complaints regarding alleged abuse of authority and excessive use of force by police agencies in Guanajuato.
In recent weeks, residents of Yuriria, Jaral del Progreso, and Comonfort have reported assaults during police operations; other reported incidents include the beating of reporter Jorge Luis Ruiz, alleged acts of torture against students detained by municipal police in the city of Guanajuato, and the beating of a woman by a police commander in León. In early September, residents of communities in Yuriria and Jaral del Progreso reported home invasions and assaults by officers from the State Public Security Forces (FSPE) during operations allegedly aimed at apprehending a criminal leader active in the region.
Videos circulated on social media show police officers forcibly entering homes in the Loma de Zempoala community in Yuriria. Recordings also circulated showing alleged assaults on residents of communities in Jaral del Progreso during the same operations.
In response to the allegations, the state’s Secretary of Security and Peace, Juan Mauro González Martínez, urged that the context in which the operations take place be considered. He argued that citizens sometimes attempt to obstruct police work.
“We know that some criminals take advantage of certain situations to hinder the work of institutions. We will continue working, strengthening our operations, and acting respectfully; should an investigation arise, we will be open and transparent,” Juan Mauro González stated on September 25, when questioned about the allegations against state police officers.
On September 23, three FSPE officers were killed by an armed group near the community of Delgado de Arriba in Comonfort. The force’s response following the attack led to further allegations of abuse.
One such complaint was filed by reporter Jorge Luis Ruiz Sierra, who was in the area to cover the killing of the state police officers. In his live broadcast, the reporter can be heard signing off to comply with instructions from the State Public Security Forces.
As he was wrapping up the live broadcast and following the instructions, several officers approached and began beating him. The journalist also reported that the police took his camera and mobile phone.
That same night, residents of Delgado de Arriba reported the alleged enforced disappearance of a teenager and demanded that he be found alive. It was not until the following day that authorities reported the minor had been detained as the alleged perpetrator of the assault on the police officers.
In the days following the attack, residents of nearby communities also reported that FSPE patrol vehicles were driving through the area while their occupants fired into the air to intimidate the population. These incidents were captured in videos that circulated on social media.
Municipal police also implicated
Allegations of abuse are not limited to state-level law enforcement agencies. In the city of Guanajuato, six young people—five of whom were University of Guanajuato students—were detained on September 24 and reported being beaten and subjected to torture by municipal police officers.
Officers had responded to a report of individuals banging on the door of a business. They encountered the group in the area and detained them using force. According to their accounts, the assaults and cruel treatment continued while they were being transported in a patrol car.
The incident sparked outrage within the university community. During the September 28 parade, students protested to demand guarantees of safety and justice from state, municipal, and university authorities.
As a result of the incident, three of the six implicated officers were dismissed from the force, while both the internal investigation and the inquiry by the State Attorney General’s Office remain ongoing.
The most recent case involves Óscar Nava, the operations director of the León Municipal Police; he was captured on video grabbing a woman by the neck to subdue her and then striking her in the face inside a home.
Following the release of the footage, and while the Council of Honor and Justice investigates the incident, the police commander has been removed from his post.
Source: POPlab
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